Differences in educational practice and culture of a British distance university and Australian traditional university are the basis for analysis of curriculum development methods. It is proposed that, although generally individual faculty design new courses, there are good reasons (efficiency, cohesiveness, professional development, academic…

This lesson plan describes the application of a photo essay technique for landscape interpretation in an interdisciplinary instructor-led international field course. This lesson is, in practice, a field-based exercise or learning activity that asks students to engage in three foundational approaches to place-based landscape reading:…

The purpose of this study was to determine students' perceptions of team-building activities within a university Latin dance course. Students (N = 30) completed an evaluation of the team-building activities and wrote reflective essays about their experiences in the course. The course consisted of twenty 90-minute classes. In the third class…

This paper reports on a project which is designed to increase the participation of high school students in accounting work experience placements. The focus of the paper is on an Australian-based project which overcomes the identified barriers to offering high school accounting work experience placements with a resultant increase in the number and…

On entry to university, high-achieving physics students from all across Australia struggle to identify Newton's third law force pairs. In particular, less than one in ten can correctly identify the Newton's third law reaction pair to the weight of (gravitational force acting on) an object. Most students incorrectly identify the normal force on the…

Feedback is an essential part of learning in any context. Timely, detailed feedback, whether delivered formally or informally, helps people learn more effectively by providing a clear sense of where they are and what they have to do to improve. In the university context, feedback assists students in developing mastery of their disciplines and more…

Uses a problem-solving task to compare the performance of school students, university students, and research scientists on a laboratory-based science investigation. Reports limitations in the work of the school students and provides insights into the development and nature of expertise in investigation skills. Presents recommendations for…

Helping children become mathematicians is a valuable way to engage them with the power of mathematics. Describes an example with primary children and distance education. (ASK)

Description Contents Resources Courses About the Authors Understanding Sociological Theory for Educational Practices introduces readers to the contemporary classroom through the lens of sociological theory. By compelling readers to think critically and reflexively this book helps future teachers create a welcoming and equitable learning…

Now in its third edition, Health and Physical Education: Preparing Educators for the Future continues to provide a comprehensive overview of the theoretical underpinnings, knowledge, understanding and skills required to successfully teach health and physical education in Australia. Emphasising the importance of the development of movement…

Describes an action-oriented approach to business-administration instruction used at an Australian university that addresses the diverse interests of stakeholders (teachers, employers, students) through an applied student project. Issues in designing and implementing this approach are considered. (Author/MSE)

Describes an analytical chemistry unit in the second year of the chemistry degree course at Curtin University that was designed to reflect the numerous employment opportunities for chemistry graduates in the mineral processing industries and private analytical laboratories. Presents the lecture syllabus, the laboratory course description, and…

Shows what it was like for the author to move from teaching in a secondary school in Victoria, Australia to tutoring English for Academic Purposes in a university in London. Concludes that her identity as an English teacher had a new dimension--she had really entered into the world of both Academic English and Higher Education. (SG)

Presents the Conceptual Understanding Program (CUP) as a means of helping first-year university physics students overcome their misconceptions in mechanics. Students work on exercises alone, then in threes, and finally as a class, which has resulted in high levels of participation and satisfaction among students. This strategy can be implemented…

This text tries to explain what students need to learn to read and write in tertiary academic settings in Australia and to suggest some ways of teaching them. An introduction maps out what this text contains and summarizes the main features of the approach used to teach adults how to read and write academic discourse. The next section describes…